May 1, 2008

Anyway then on my way home on lovely man on the tube gave me his copy of the Sunday Times. There was an article in it about the workers in London’s Chinatown working for £5 a day – and everything else they got in tips was their good fortune – after having paid for their own uniforms and travel each day – what’s left? Theya re also not allowed breaks etc etc. If you want to read the whole article, it is here. How bullshit is that?! I don’t think I will be able to stomach eating in Chinatown again. I’m not a real political person, but I don’t want to support people being employed under these conditions, illegal immigrants or not.

It has answered one of those questions for me like the ones about cheap clothes from places like H&M / Primark / Topshop / Uniqlo etc. If clothes are so cheap, who is actually paying the price? It seems the same way in Chinatown. Just think about the poor person in the kitchen who hasn’t sat down all day, no healthcare, no holiday, no sick pay, working hours exceeding the legal minimum, no statutory rights… nothing… and bon appetite!